Brand Strategy Blog

March 16, 2017

U.S. Vape Advocacy: Modern Legislative Priorities

The GOP is currently taking its new agenda out for a stroll, an agenda of sweeping deregulation and economy policy. It is thanks to Republican senator Tom Cole and Democratic senator Sanford Bishop that demands of displeased and hardworking Americans have been heard!

With research and news on vaping, it is evident that all of the journalists, interested writers, and even vaping information providers have focused on one piece of legislation in particular. While this one piece is critical, there is a lot more out there in Congress that people need to be made aware of. Regardless, that single amendment is a wonderful achievement and deserves some attention. It is an achievement not just for the vape industry but for the people and for Congress. The bill has another term used on it, a term that many Americans have long since stopped hoping to hear.

Bipartisan

In America, bipartisan legislation was once normal. Both sides of the aisle worked together well to get the newest legislation important or American citizens pushed through Congress. Issues related to health were issues everyone could get behind. But lately that has not been the case. America has not seen this level of partnering for some time… until now that is. Now, this newest vaping related bill was a bipartisan effort, introduced to Congress by a member of the Democratic and Republican parties respectively. Congressmen Sanford Bishop, the Democrat from Georgia, alongside Tom Cole a Republican from Oklahoma went to Capitol Hill to present a new piece of legislation for the vaping industry.

The Cole-Bishop Amendment is a reminder to the people about how a desirable goal can be achieved on both sides of the aisle. This piece of legislation is one bit of hope for the vaping community and industry at large. It is one that has the power to set precedent.

Highlights of the New Amendment

So, what is in this oh-so- important amendment? Well, this deal helped to protect options among the vaping community. Previous legislation sought to force users to only buy what was made available back in 2007 or go without. This piece of legislation changed all that. The amendment, known as “The FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2017’’is truly one of the most important pieces of hope this diverse industry has at its fingertips. FDA regulations it is fighting were trying to destroy this industry of innovation and entrepreneurs.

Opposition to Vaping Encourages Smoking

Right now many independent vape shop owners in America and eLiquid manufacturers are at odds with the political community, taking a beating. And vapers in America are not happy. To many people this lack of political support is shocking, at best. Smoking regular cigarettes brings with it an array of serious health concerns that many in the vaping community would think politicians want to stop. Moreover, it seems that a dozen or so of the U.S. public servants have no idea what is truly at stake and have opted to avoid personal research and instead simply taken a stand against e-vaping. These same political opponents are ignoring the facts and deeming FDA rule over the regulation. In reality, the people who are actively opposing e-cigarettes are really encouraging people to embrace regular smoking instead, in spite of any health concerns.

Vaping Industry Needs Cole-Bishop

This new piece of legislation came just in time. The vaping industry needed a friend on Capitol Hill and it got one. The vape community supported this bill, as well they should have, because it had the potential to amend the FDA naming for new e-cigarettes and vaping products, ensuring that the licensing and advertising guidelines therein were practical. Moreover, the results of this bill would encourage the FDA to insert product standards for the e-cigarette batteries.

Regardless of who is for and against vaping on Capitol Hill, vapers all over have to come together to support important legislation for the vaping community, especially when that legislation has to do with FDA regulations. Such gains can bring the vaping community closer together, as everyone looks toward a brighter future for the vaping industry.

It is imperative that the vape community get involved everywhere in support of local and national level legislation that supports or aides the industry. It is more important though to read the details of all current and past legislation yourself, developing your own interpretations. Deregulation can, sometimes, be a form of regulation in and of itself.

It is time for people to acknowledge what is real about e-cigarettes and the vaping industry, and to be proactive politically. There is a large scale war on vaping when there really shouldn’t be. This bipartisan effort did not see any co-sponsors early on, leaving all of the responsibility and burden on the shoulders of these two men who dared come together for the sake of the greater American good.

What they have already accomplished was impressive, to be sure. But there is still more work to be done. Solidarity between political rivals and the community at large will help this industry to really grow.

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